
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) is located 20-32 km northeast of downtown Beijing, China. It is one of the two airports serving Beijing, the other being Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). Shunyi, the closest city to PEK, is 7 km away, while Tongzhou and Peking are also nearby at 19 km and 24 km away, respectively. PEK is one of the busiest airports in the world, with over 100 million passengers in 2018. The airport has three terminals, with Terminal 3 being the second-largest passenger terminal in the world.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Beijing Capital International Airport |
| IATA Airport Code | PEK |
| ICAO Airport Code | ZBAA |
| Location | 32 km (20 miles) northeast of downtown Beijing, China |
| Address | 155 Dongsi Xi Dajie, Beijing 100621, People's Republic of China (PRC) |
| Operating Company | Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) |
| Nearby Cities | Shunyi (7 km), Tongzhou (19 km), Peking (24 km), Mentougou (45 km), Huangcun (46 km), Langfang (64 km) |
| Terminals | 3 (T1, T2, T3) |
| Year Opened | 1 March 1958 |
| Area Covered | 1,480 hectares (3,657 acres) |
| Awards | 2009 – Ranked first in the World's Best Airport by Condé Nast Traveler magazine |
| 2011 – third Best Airport Worldwide of the Airport Service Quality Awards by Airports Council International | |
| 2011–2022 – ACI Director General’s Roll of Excellence by Airports Council International | |
| 2020, 2021 – best airport in the Asia-Pacific serving over 40 million passengers per year by Airports Council International | |
| 2021 – best hygiene measures in the Asia-Pacific by Airports Council International | |
| 2021 – Voice of the Customer by Airports Council International |
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What You'll Learn
- Beijing Capital International Airport is 20-32km northeast of Beijing's city centre
- The airport has three terminals, with the walk between T1 and T2 taking around 10 minutes
- The airport is owned and operated by the Beijing Capital International Airport Company Limited
- The airport's IATA code, PEK, is based on the city's former name, Peking
- Beijing Daxing International Airport is the largest single-structure airport in the world

Beijing Capital International Airport is 20-32km northeast of Beijing's city centre
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) is located 20-32km northeast of Beijing's city centre. It is one of two airports serving Beijing, the capital city of China, the other being Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). Beijing Capital International Airport is the older and bigger of the two, with three terminals and a total terminal area of 1,400,000 square metres. It is the busiest of Beijing's airports and the busiest airport in Asia, with over 100 million passengers passing through in 2018. It is also one of the world's busiest airports, second only to Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, Georgia.
Beijing Capital International Airport first opened on 1 March 1958 and originally consisted of a single small terminal building and a 2,500-metre runway. A second runway was added in 1966, and in 1978 a third runway was completed, extending to 3,200 metres. The airport's first terminal was replaced in 1980 with a larger building, which was then renovated and reopened in 2004. Terminal 2 opened in 1999, and Terminal 3, the international terminal, was constructed for the 2008 Olympics.
The airport is located in the Chaoyang district, in an exclave of Chaoyang and the surrounding suburbs of Shunyi. It is accessible by taxi, bus, or train, with an airport express train service connecting the airport to the city. The train is recommended to avoid Beijing's traffic jams, which are common during peak hours.
Beijing Capital International Airport has received numerous accolades, including being named the World's Best Airport by Condé Nast Traveler magazine in 2009. It has also been recognised for its hygiene measures and was awarded the Voice of the Customer award by Airports Council International in 2021.
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The airport has three terminals, with the walk between T1 and T2 taking around 10 minutes
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) is the main airport of Beijing, the capital city of the People's Republic of China. It is located 20 kilometres northeast of the city centre in the district of Shunyi, in the enclave of the district of Chaoyang in Beijing. The airport has three terminals, with the walk between T1 and T2 taking around 10 minutes.
The airport's IATA Airport code, PEK, is based on the city's former romanised name, Peking. The airport covers an area of 1,480 hectares of airport property. Beijing Airport opened on 1 March 1958, with one small terminal building, which still stands today, and a 2,500-metre runway on its eastern side. The runway was extended to 3,200 metres in 1966 and then to 3,800 metres in 1976.
A newer, larger Terminal 1 opened on 1 January 1980, with docks for 10 to 12 aircraft. Terminal 2 opened in November 1999, and Terminal 3, the newest terminal, was constructed for the 2008 Olympics and is the second-largest passenger terminal in the world. Terminal 1 was temporarily closed for renovation in 1999 and reopened in September 2004, handling only China Southern Airlines' domestic and international flights from Beijing.
The walk between Terminals 1 and 2 takes around 10 minutes. To reach Terminal 3, passengers need to use the free shuttle service. The distance between the terminal entrance and the foremost boarding gate in Beijing Capital International Airport is around 3.6 kilometres, whereas in the newer Daxing Airport, it is only 1 kilometre.
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The airport is owned and operated by the Beijing Capital International Airport Company Limited
Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) is a busy airport located 20-32km northeast of Beijing's city centre, in the district of Shunyi. The airport is owned and operated by the Beijing Capital International Airport Company Limited, a state-controlled company.
The airport first opened in 1958, with one small terminal building and a single 2,500-metre runway. Today, it has three terminals, with a total area of 1,400,000 square metres. Terminal 1 is currently closed, while Terminals 2 and 3 serve domestic and international flights. Terminal 3, constructed for the 2008 Olympics, is the second-largest passenger terminal in the world.
Beijing Capital International Airport is one of two airports serving Beijing, the capital city of China. The other is Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), which opened in September 2019. Beijing Capital International Airport is older and bigger than Daxing Airport, with more airstrips and a larger terminal area. However, Daxing Airport is located closer to the city centre and boasts a more modern design, with impressive passenger services and amenities.
Beijing Capital International Airport has received numerous accolades over the years. In 2009, it was ranked as the world's best airport by Condé Nast Traveler magazine. It has also consistently ranked as one of the best airports worldwide by the Airports Council International, receiving awards for hygiene measures, customer service, and overall quality.
Navigating Beijing Capital International Airport can be challenging due to its size and occasional issues with signage and instructions. It is recommended that passengers allow ample time for transfers and unexpected delays.
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The airport's IATA code, PEK, is based on the city's former name, Peking
Beijing Capital International Airport (IATA: PEK, ICAO: ZBAA) is one of the two main international airports in Beijing, China. The airport is located 32 km (20 mi) northeast of downtown Beijing, in an exclave of Chaoyang and the surrounding suburbs of Shunyi. The airport's IATA code, PEK, is based on the city's former romanized name, Peking.
Beijing Capital International Airport is the busiest of the two international airports serving Beijing, the capital city of China. The other airport is Beijing Daxing International Airport, which is located further from the city's central area but takes less time to reach by ride. Beijing Capital Airport is not only older but also bigger than Daxing airport in terms of terminal area. It has three terminals, covering 1.41 million square meters, while Daxing airport covers 29 square kilometres with four airstrips.
Beijing Capital International Airport was opened on 1 March 1958. The airport initially consisted of one small terminal building, which still stands today, and a single 2,500-metre runway on its eastern side. The runway was extended to 3,200 metres in 1966 and again to 3,800 metres in 1978. In 1980, a new, larger Terminal 1 was opened, followed by Terminal 2 in 1999. Terminal 1 was renovated and reopened in 2004, and Terminal 3, the newest terminal, was later added to increase the airport's capacity.
Beijing Capital International Airport is a major aviation hub, serving over 100 million passengers per year and handling 1.95 million tons of cargo in 2019. It has received numerous awards and recognitions, including being ranked as the World's Best Airport by Condé Nast Traveler magazine in 2009 and the best airport in the Asia-Pacific region by Airports Council International in 2020 and 2021.
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Beijing Daxing International Airport is the largest single-structure airport in the world
Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) is the largest single-structure airport in the world. It is one of two airports serving Beijing, the capital of China, the other being Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK). Beijing Capital International Airport is the older and bigger of the two airports in terms of terminal area, but Beijing Daxing International Airport is the largest single terminal in the world, covering 7.5 million square feet, or 18 square miles with runways and annexes.
Beijing Daxing International Airport is located on the border of Beijing and Hebei Province, 46km south of Beijing's political centre, Tiananmen Square. It is 28.5 miles from downtown Beijing, and it takes around 1.5 hours to get between the airport and the city by taxi, or 2 hours in gridlocked traffic. The airport express train launched in September 2019, connecting Caoqiao Station to the airport's north terminal in 19 minutes.
The airport was completed on 30 June 2019 and began operations on 26 September 2019. It cost $11 billion to build and is designed to handle 300 takeoffs and landings an hour in its initial stages. It is expected to handle 45 million passengers by 2021, 72 million by 2025, and 120 to 200 million passengers a year at full capacity, which would make it the world's busiest airport.
The airport features hyper-modern interiors, with five traditional Chinese courtyards, and art spaces throughout the terminal, including in the VIP lounges. There are 70 food and beverage outlets, including Japanese chain Ajisen Ramen, old-school Chinese cuisine at Laoshe Teahouse, and mock meat at plant-based Vege Tiger. The airport incorporates energy-saving green concepts, allowing natural light into the building, and renewable energy accounts for more than 10% of the energy consumed.
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Frequently asked questions
PEK is the IATA code for Beijing Capital International Airport, which is the main airport of Beijing, the capital city of the People's Republic of China.
The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is around 1.5 hours drive from the airport.
Shunyi (7 km), Tongzhou (19 km), Peking (24 km), Mentougou (45 km), Huangcun (46 km), and Langfang (64 km) are some of the nearby cities.
You can get to the city from the airport by taxi, bus, or train.











































